新视野大学英语第三版第二册课文语法讲解 - Unit5

新视野三版 读写 B2 U5 Text A

Spend or save — The student's dilemma

1 Do you feel as confused and manipulated as I do with this question, \

I spend or should I save?\environment seem to defy common sense and contradict each other. The

government tel s us to spend or we'l never get out of the recession. At the

same time, they tel us that unless we save more, our country is in grave danger.Banks offer higher interest rates so we increase

savings. Then the same banks send us credit card offers so we can spend more.

2 Here's another familiar example: If we don't pay our credit card bil on time,

we get demanding, nasty emails from the credit card company saying

something like: \failure to pay is unacceptable. Pay immediately or you'l

be in trouble!\a

charming tone tel ing us how valuable a customer we are and encouraging us

to resume spending. Which depiction is correct: a failing consumer in trouble

or a valued customer? The gap between these two messages is enormous.

3 The paradox is that every day we get two sets of messages at odds with

each other. One is the \now. You

need this!\The other we could cal an \message, which urges us,

\your appetite for more than you truly need.%us from

many sources: from school, from parents, even from political figures

referring

to \postpone

desires are core American values that have made our country great. *4 But the opposite message, advertising's permissive message, is inescapable. Though sometimes disguised, the messages are everywhere we

look: on TV, in movies on printed media and road signs, in stores, and on

buses, trains and subways.Advertisements invade our daily lives. We are

constantly surrounded by the message to spend, spend, spend. Someone

recently said, \only time you can escape advertising is when you're in your bed asleep!\

5 It's been calculated that by the age of 18, the average American wil have

seen 600,000 ads; by the age of 40, the total is almost one mil ion. Each

advertisement is doing its utmost to influence our diverse buying decisions,

from the breakfast cereal we eat to which cruise line we wil use for our

vacation. There is no shortage of ideas and things to buy! Now, of course, we

don't remember exactly what the products were, but the essential message

is cemented into our consciousness, \You

should have what you want. You deserve the best. So, you should buy it —

now!\A famous advertisement said it perfectly, \love me. I'm a good friend to

myself. I do what makes me feel good. I derive pleasure from nice things and

feel nourished by them. I used to put things off. Not anymore. Today I'l buy

new ski equipment, look at new compact cars, and buy that camera I've

always wanted. I live my dreams today, not tomorrow.\

6 What happens as we take in these contradictory

but explicit messages? What are the psychological and social consequences

of this campaign to control our spending habits? On one hand, we want more

things because we want to satisfy our material appetite. Most of us derive

pleasure from treating ourselves. On the other hand, a little voice inside

us echoes those upright messages: \don't let

your attention get scattered. Postpone your desires. Don't fal into debt.

Wait! Retain control over your own life. It wil make you stronger.\7 Anyway, many of the skil s you need as a successful student can be applied

to your finances. Consider your financial wel -beings a key ingredient of your

university education as money worries are extremely stressful and distracting. They can make you feel terrible and hinder your ability to focus on

your prime objective: successful y completing your education. *8 How can you be a smart and educated consumer? Many schools,

community organizations, and even some banks offer financial literacy

classes. Consider consulting with your school's financial aid office or

seek input from your parents or other respected adults in setting up a budget. An additional option is finding a partner to help you stay on track and

find pleasure in the administration of your own financial affairs. Most

importantly, if you find yourself getting into financial trouble, don't let

your ego get in your way; urgently get help with tackling your problem before it

spins out of control and lands you in legal troubles.

9 Al this wil help you become an educated consumer and saver. As you learn

to balance spending and saving, you wil become the captain of your own ship,

steering your life in a successful and productive direction through the choppy waters.

Language Points：

1 Do you feel as confused and manipulated as I do with this question, ―Should I

spend or should I save?‖ (Para. 1)

Meaning: When asking yourself whether you should spend or save, do you feel puzzled and control ed as I do?

Meaning beyond words: According to the conventional concept, we are the master or

the boss of the money we have earned

. It is up to us to decide how to use our money. However, the sentence gives us the hint

that we are actual y no longer in control of our money.

2 I think that the messages we get from our environment seem to defy common

sense and contradict each other. (Para. 1)

Meaning: In my opinion, the messages we get in our daily life about the question “Should

I spend or should I save?” are against common sense and they often don’t agree with each other.

Usage note: defy, deny

defy 和 deny 都是及物动词，词形相近，但实际上两者词义有别，用法也不同。

1 defy 主要表示“违抗；反抗；蔑视”，后接名词；而 deny 主要表示“否认；拒绝承认”，后接 名词或 that 引导的从句。

*Nearly 11 thousand people have been arrested for defying the ban on street trading. 近一 万一千人因违抗在街上交易的禁令而被捕。

The government has denied that the authorities have uncovered a plot to assassinate the

*president. 政府已否认当局发现了一个暗杀总统的阴谋。

2 defy 后接动词不定式表示“挑战；刺激某人做某事”时，不能用动名词形式；deny 表示“否

认；拒绝承认”时，后面不能接动词不定式，只能接动名词形式。

*I defy you to come up with one major accomplishment of the current prime minister. 我倒

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